McGuire v New Zealand Law Society

[2018] NZSC 93

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW ZEALAND

I TE KŌTI MANA NUI

 SC 50/2018
 [2018] NZSC 93

BETWEEN	JEREMY JAMES McGUIRE Applicant
AND	NEW ZEALAND LAW SOCIETY Respondent

Court:	Elias CJ, Glazebrook and Ellen France JJ
Counsel:	Applicant in person P N Collins for Respondent
Judgment:	11 October 2018

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

A        The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.

B         Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the respondent.

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REASONS

1. Mr McGuire seeks leave to appeal against a decision of the Court of Appeal of 6 June 2018[1] dismissing an appeal against a decision of the High Court,[2] and an application to adduce further evidence.

   [1]McGuire v New Zealand Law Society [2018] NZCA 184 (French, Ellis and Woolford JJ).

   [2]McGuire v New Zealand Law Society [2017] NZHC 2484 (Courtney J).

2. In the High Court, Courtney J had allowed, but only in part, Mr McGuire’s application for judicial review of a decision of the Canterbury Westland Standards Committee. The Committee had upheld a complaint made by a client of Mr McGuire’s and found him guilty of “unsatisfactory conduct” pursuant to s 152(2)(b) of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006.

3. The matters Mr McGuire seeks to raise are all related to the particular factual circumstances of the case and do not raise any issues of general or public importance.  Nor does anything raised by Mr McGuire suggest that the Court of Appeal’s decision may have been erroneous. 

4. This means the application for leave to appeal must be dismissed, with costs of $2,500 awarded to the respondent.

Solicitors:
C L Walker, New Zealand Law Society, Wellington for Respondent